Press release | 13 Oct, 2022

IUCN Leaders Forum opens in Jeju with vision of nature-positive global economy

Jeju, Republic of Korea, 13 October 2022 (IUCN) - The inaugural IUCN Leaders Forum opened today in Jeju, Republic of Korea with keynote addresses by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Korean environment minister Wha-jin Han, Jeju governor Young Hun Oh and IUCN President Razan Al Mubarak.

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IUCN President, Razan Al Mubarak opens the IUCN Leaders Forum 

Photo: Jeju Province / Ministry of Environment, ROK / IUCN

Over the next three days, leaders and change-makers from government, business and civil society will discuss how their sector can take action and measure their contributions to a nature-positive future.

“We are gathered here to construct a common and shared vision for a nature-positive global economy and society, and importantly how to leverage our collective in making this vision a reality,” said IUCN President, Razan Al Mubarak.

“I hope this Forum will serve as the first stepping stone for the world to build a nature-positive alliance. You can be sure that the Republic of Korea will play our part,” said Wha-jin Han, Minister of Environment, Republic of Korea.

“We can build nature-positive economies and societies; and this is how we will advance a new paradigm for our thriving, collective future and its species. As such, I humbly call on you, the distinguished IUCN Leaders Forum Jeju 2022 participants, to invigorate your discussion,” said Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations.

“For a world where people and nature coexist in harmony, Jeju Province will work together to create a life-respecting society and move towards a brighter future,” said Young Hun Oh, Governor, Jeju Self-governing Province.

The IUCN Leaders Forum is co-hosted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.

While this is the first such event, the vision is for the IUCN Leaders Forum to become an annual meeting in the future, with each edition focussing on a specific topic of particular relevance on the international policy agenda and facilitating action-driven, multi-stakeholder dialogue and exchange.

For more information, please contact
IUCN media relations, press@iucn.org